8:05: The first question, on the financial crisis, gives them both a chance to give a speech that they could have prepared in advance. With a chance at a follow-up, McCain plugs in prepared material about Joe the plumber who is worried about taxes. He should have listened to Obama's answer and responded very precisely to that. Generally, Obama seems much more fluid and complex, and McCain is wooden and overprepared, unwilling to react on the spot. When he's not speaking, McCain sits with his hands folded on the table. Obama speaks again, then McCain hits him with the "spread the wealth around" comment that Obama made to Joe the plumber. He's coming alive a bit now [McCain]. But I don't know how many more times he can say "Joe the plumber." If we'd put "Joe the plumber" on the drinking game list, we'd be sprawling under the table already.

8:17: McCain is going to wield a hatchet and then a scalpel. He's after the pork. Especially that demonic overhead projector. Did you have "overhead projector" on your drinking list? Now, Obama is talking about "earmarks," an unfortunate term that make us notice how huge his ears look tonight.

8:22: McCain asks Obama to say when he's ever stood up to his party. And Obama has (what sounds like) some good examples: tort reform, charter schools....

8:31: McCain challenges Obama about John Lewis's charge that the McCain campaign has been racist. Obama ignores it for a while, then finally gets around to it. But what did he say? He didn't repudiate Lewis, which is what McCain demanded. McCain comes back at him, with a bit of a tirade about what fine Americans there are in the McCain/Palin crowds. On the split screen, Obama has that look that I saw him aim at Hillary Clinton months ago. I think McCain is getting to him. He got Obama to tip his head up and look down his nose at McCain. Now, McCain needles him about Ayers and ACORN. McCain is on the attack, and Obama is stuck in the defensive role.

8:43: Palin is a freath of bresh air.

8:47: Nuclear pants... uh... nuclear plants.

8:51: McCain mugs when it's not his turn. He lit up when Obama said he believes in free trade. He's all over Obama about free trade. Obama doesn't understand free trade... and he's never been south of the border. Obama comes back, seemingly unriled. But I'm distracted by the McCain side of the screen. McCain sparkles with the knowledge of his superiority on free trade... or so it seems.

8:56: My son Jac is live-blogging too, and he just wrote: "McCain is back to the 'he doesn't understand' line against Obama, this time about Colombia trade policy. Obama: 'Actually, I understand it pretty well ...' Oh, but how can that be? He's never traveled south of the border!" McCain is trying to get under Obama's skin, but Obama is standing his ground. He understands what McCain is up to.

8:59: McCain thinks you're fat.

8:59: Joe the plumber is back.

9:06: Something about health care. Who won? I don't know.

9:07: The Supreme Court. McCain notes his record of voting for judicial nominees based on their qualifications. This is a good point, because Obama has voted against highly qualified Supreme Court nominees, while McCain voted for Justice Ginsburg. They're both against "litmus tests" (of course).

9:13: McCain presses Obama on the Born Alive Infant Protection Act and partial birth abotion, very sensitive subjects. Obama wants to communicate to young people that sex is sacred and we don't want any "cavalier" activity.

8:28: The closing statements at last. McCain sounds over-rehearsed and he stumbles over many things. He says "abased" for "based." I think he knows he hasn't done enough tonight. He hasn't rattled Obama, not enough anyway. Obama is doing his final statement now. It's not particularly interesting, but it's filling the space, and we're probably not listening, because we know, he's survived the final ordeal. He will be our President, I think, and I think they both know that. They shake hands, and we hear McCain vigorously congratulating the younger man -- our future President, in all likelihood -- "Good job! Good job!"

9:34: No more debates! Can it be? We've reached the end. Thanks to both men, John McCain and Barack Obama, for fighting so long and so hard and for stepping up to the awesome task of governing this great, unwieldy, beloved country of ours.

You forget Pastafarian, it's not about issues it's about feelings! You know, it's performance art to vote for someone dreamy like Obama. And as Obama's friend William Ayers would say, if it feels good, do it!

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the third and last US Presidential debate. Both candidates will share a seat next to CBS' Bob Schieffer, as their shoulders practically touch around that table.

Will we see a feistier John McCain, or a defensive Barack Obama?

Will Schieffer give an amused, wry smile like he did during Palin's RNC speech (he was laughing that the crowd were chanting NBC! NBC! as the main media culprits)?

I watched the American Experience's 3-hour Richard Nixon special at my hotel this Monday.

I noticed how JFK draped one leg over the other, with that effortless elegance he had. Nixon looked like a spent force, pale and haggard -- even if he did so much better in answering the questions. He handily won that first, iconic debate.

No one knows what will happen on 4th November.

We can just hope that Americans choose the right man, because 2008 is a galaxy away from 1960.

Palladian, Blake, other commenters -- I want to apologize if, at some point, my comments begin to consist entirely of profanity and random characters as I pound the keyboard.

These reports out of Ohio have me very near the point of insanity. I don't know if I've ever felt so much rage, at something essentially impersonal and not really directly related to me.

There are also stories of people that the Democrats have shipped into the state, from non-swing states, who are not only bribing people to register and vote here, but are registering here themselves, even though it's not their state of residence. I actually know one Democratic volunteer who's housing two of these carpetbaggers in her house.

Derf, that's a shame. I'm still not on Twitter, but when I saw that Rick Sanchez of CNN is on there all the time (having transformed himself from a right-to-left winger since his Miami anchor days), I knew it is not a good environment for us Rethugs.

What am I going to do election night?Obviously I'll be drinking heavily, I might sit in the den and clean my guns and saddles, considering that The One will take away the first, and after We all are unable to hunt game after the great collapse of '09 I won't be able to hunt so I'll end up eating my beloved Princessa to avoid starving. "First they came for the dogs, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a dog. Then they came for the cats, and I was silent because they were good with mustard. then they came for me: I decided to beat them to the punch and have myself for lunch, with a choice of wine known by the bottle left behind.

Most small business are now Subchapter S or LLC's that flow through to the personal returns of the owners as they are generally closely held corporations. Thus the increase in the personal income taxes that Obama will stick us with will destroy many businesses.

Give it time, although the moderator (borrowed from the local wax museum, no doubt - and I'm listening on radio without the benefit of television images) undoubtedly won't press the One as hard as he's gonna interrupt and try to put the hurt on McCain.

Excellent point Al! That is what I said to the Maroons in NYC who wanted to put tolls on drivers into midtown (in addition to the tolls they pay to get onto the island). I said it won't just be the drivers. Everything that services the city (which are usually based outside the city because of rental costs) including food (since we don't grow our own food in NYC) will COST MORE.

That's why it was ultimately defeated. Small business in New York said NO!

Purple?Perhaps you need to adjust your set?He is blinking rapidly though. Probably the dexies, I suppose he had a cap left over from his pilot days, they used to issue them when the pilots were doing 3 or more sorties a day.He sure is shoving a boot up Lowbama's BH tho...

I disagree. I think the C-word T shirts thing has spread far and wide. My partner's sister at work knew about it today and she has no interest in the politics game. She was pissed too. What is it about that little word that makes women so mad? I have been called things (that I consider to be) much worse. perhaps some of the ladies in the blogging audience could enlighten?

Obama is a liar. He is the kind of liar that grows out of a dysfuntional family. He doesn't know he lies. It is an intergal part of his character. He lies to shape the world around him. He believes his lies. It is so very obvious in this exchange.

Oh, and on the c-word, I agree with Victoria. I think it's one of the worst, most hateful words there is.

Then again, I had a friend in law school - a female, at that - who used the word often. It didn't bother her at all because she said that where she came from, people used it all the time and it didn't have that hateful, almost violent connotation.